The first bill Barack Obama signed into law as president was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which helps women fight for equal pay. My aid work has taken me to countries where women are considered second-class citizens—with no rights and no hope for change. Some of these women are so oppressed it is considered “offensive” for them to look another person directly in the eye. America’s inalienable rights for women set a standard, the ripples of which are felt throughout the world. Our belief in—and insistence on—equality is a beacon of light in these communities. This election, America can only shine brightest if she is led by Barack Obama.